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Strategic Plan

OVERVIEW

The Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) is an agency of the Institute for Public Service (IPS) of the University of Tennessee. IPS is a statewide, system‐wide organization that fulfills the University’s public service mandate by applying university expertise to community and workplace needs.

Through MTAS the towns and cities of Tennessee are supported by and have available experts dedicated solely to research, consulting and training on Tennessee municipal issues.

MTAS was established on April 15, 1949 by Tennessee Code Annotated 67‐6‐103 (E) to:

in cooperation with the Tennessee Municipal League, provide for studies and research in municipal government, publications, educational conferences and attendance at such conferences and in furnishing technical, consultative and field services to municipalities in problems relating to fiscal administration, accounting, tax assessment and collection, law enforcement, improvements and public works and in any and all matters relating to municipal government.

MTAS collaborates with agencies within IPS, the university system, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and with all entities that work with municipal governments to meet the Mission and Vision of the agency and to improve public services in Tennessee.

MTAS MISSION

We work with Tennessee municipalities to improve the lives of those they serve.

MTAS VISION

Tennessee municipalities will be a national model of good governance.

MTAS VALUES

Adaptability

Service-Oriented

Integrity

Quality

We have: AService IQ

Goal 1: MEET AND EXCEED CUSTOMER NEEDS

Each city will receive a minimum of two field visits each calendar year for the next five years. The Responsible Parties (RP) are all field consultants collectively.

Each grand division will receive twenty training programs each calendar year for the next five years. (RP = training and field consultants)

MTAS will deliver a minimum of one Elected Officials Academy (EOA) in each grand division each year for the next five years (RP = training and field consultants)

Increase by 5% each year for the next five years the number of publications and hot topics produced. (RP = leadership team)

Review the structure of MORe and Knowledgebase. This will be a multi-year project beginning in 2019. A committee will work on this and it will be led by the Technical and Legal Team program manager. Year one will cover identification of problems and solutions. Years two through five will be implementation, study, and improvement of implementations.

Goal 2: RETAIN, HIRE AND SUPPORT A HIGH QUALITY TEAM CAPABLE OF DELIVERING OUR MISSION

Decrease the hiring time by one week each year through identifying efficiencies in processes. The hiring time frame is considered the date of the posting to the date of an official offer. The target is to get the process streamlined to three months or less. (RP = leadership team with the assistant director leading the effort)

Complete a career ladder program study with recommendations by December 2022 to identify job advancement opportunities for employees. (RP = leadership team)

Develop a retirement succession plan by June 30, 2019 to identify the best way to prepare for potential vacancies. (RP = leadership team, led by the assistant director)

Develop internal leaders through professional development plans. (RP = program managers)

By August, 2019, reform our professional development request process so that requests will be approved by the start of the calendar year. (RP = The executive director will take the lead on this with backup provided by the leadership team)

Teach best practices among ourselves - i.e. cross-training and cross-team engagement. There will be one event, initiated by each team, once per year for the next five years. (RP = program managers)

Goal 3: FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE WHO IMPACT TN MUNICIPALITIES

Each consultant attend a state association conference twice per year for the next five years. (RP = program managers)

Each consultant meet one-on-one with a key stakeholder from an association or affiliate key stakeholders at least once per year for the next five years. (RP = program managers)

Executive director and assistant director will attend a conference or otherwise engage with key stakeholders at least three times per calendar year each (six total) each year for the next five years.

Goal 4: ENSURE FINANCIAL RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO MEET OUR MISSION AND VISION.

By June 30, 2019, the leadership team will plan how to endow one position in five years.

Examine cost/benefit structure of our fees by June 30, 2019.

The business manager will identify a team to work with by mid-December, 2018.

The leadership team will examine the structure annually in the winter each year for the next five years.

Apply for two grants per fiscal year each year for the next five years. (RP = training team program manager)

The business manager will deliver a budget seminar to the leadership team by the end of April, 2019 and a budget presentation to all of MTAS at the 2019 staff retreat. The budget presentation will become part of the annual MTAS retreat through 2024.